I've had season tickets to both the Lions and the Tigers. I've seen my share of people booing the home team.
You really shouldn't boo anybody. It makes me sick when people boo national anthems or because the guy on the opposing team just happens to be talented. Except for A-Rod. You can boo that cunt. Crosby helped Pittsburgh net their first Cup since the Lemieux days. If they boo him, I hope Powers Boothe blows up the arena resevoirs in the Igloo like in Sudden Death. I'm not HUGE on Crosby, but I'll never deny he's one of the top 5 players in the NHL today. Miller should have rose petals thrown at his fucking skates. The guy was an absolute ninja and that's one American to truly be proud of.
Lalime is getting the start. <a class="postlink" href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=312076" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=312076</a>
Ohhhh, so you mean like the Canadians shouldn't constantly boo the Americans? Boo our national Anthem? Root for the fucking Russians in the World Juniors over the Americans in Calgary a few years ago? I mean, I understand rooting for your country, but you guys should be rooting for us to come in second. I mean... The Russians?
As both an American and a Penguins fan, I wouldn't boo him. He didn't taunt any Americans in the crowd, or watching from home. He didn't make a spectacle of himself, or act like a douchebag in any other way. He did his job--which for 2 weeks every 4 years, happens to go against my team (USA! USA! USA!) and for the rest of those 4 years happens to go for my team.
Before you go pointing fingers, I personally don't recall anybody I know rooting for the Russians over the States. And I've heard LOTS of Americans boo the Canadian national anthem throughout my life, not the other way around. Besides that why do you even give a shit? The only time you even think of us is when your weather network with the fucked-up temperatures mentions a cold air mass. YOU'RE the ones with the beef with the Russians, not us. I know the cold war gave you a real boogieman to freak out about for a half a century or so, but even if Canadian fans rooted for the Russkies, that's no need to cry. The only bitterness Canadians have towards Americans in hockey is the fact since American Execs have started taking over the game, they've increasingly made it worse. More space behind the net. Bigger creases. Allowing goalies to wear gigantic pads. SHOOTOUTS?! That's pussy soccer stuff. Hey, remember when you guys but a blue hue around the puck because it was so difficult to follow a black object around on a bright white surface? There is no such thing as "For Love Of The Game" when money rules sports. What's next, ban fighting? If that happens, the terrorists truly have won.
Stop whining. The booing of each other's national anthem is more or less an annual playoff tradition, and you make it sound as though fans in American stadiums don't enthusiastically take part in it, too. And I have no idea what you're talking about with rooting for the Russians at the World Juniors. Maybe some people did, I don't know, but if that really hurt your feelings then I suggest you re-orient your priorities. The idea that Canadians should cheer for the Americans to come in second is like saying that Leafs fans should cheer for the Senators when the Leafs don't make the playoffs. It's hockey, not something of actual significance.
As a biased nationalist American I would totally boo that cunt Crosby. As a reasonable observer I would refrain, understanding that you can't fault a man for playing his heart out for his country. You can fault him, however, for looking like Andy Samberg.
I like rooting for Sweden. After all, it was basically just the Red Wings who won gold in '06. There were 5 of them. And Russia is sweet to, because Datsyuk is my favorite player. Has been since I got his jersey during the '02 playoffs. Really though, I don't care who wins between Canada and Russia and Sweden or anyone else. It's cliche, but I just root for an entertaining game. Same for every sport and every situation, as long as my team isn't playing, and the result does not directly affect my teams chances to get into the playoffs, or whatever.
Internet rrrrraaaggggeeeee I'm not saying it hurt my feelings, I'm saying it confused me as to why in gods name you'd root for the fucking Russians over the US JUNIOR team, compadre. They're the fucking Russians. When they finally work up the balls to nuke the western world, do you really think Canada will be spared their wrath just because of your pseudo-hippie socialized medicine? Never forget, Johnny Canuck, as our young impetuous brother you exist solely at our whims. One giant American fart and you Molson swilling Curlers will get blown halfway to iceland, for no reason other than because we feel like building a cold weather theme park called "Mountieland." Oh but uhhh, 2001-2008? Seriously that was our bad. Sorry about that. EDIT: As a disclaimer, I don't support booing the Canadian national anthem, it's just a good song.
Here's an idea then: Why doesn't Canada form its own professional league for the sport it invented? Then your Canadien execs can keep whatever the fuck rules you want to govern all the B & C level players you will in have in said league, because all the top talent will be playing in the American hockey league (NHL). FWIW, I don't follow hockey at all. But don't start blaming American execs for ruining your sport when all your top players and coaches still come down south to collect their American paycheck. When Canada boasts the premiere football, basketball, and baseball leagues of the world, we won't start bitching about how you ruined the integrity of our sports when all of our top players are going to collect a pay check from you, and all of our young athletes aspire to be a star in your leage. Actually, we probably would, but since that is an impossible scenario we can just pretend that we wouldn't. SGEDIT: Since your smartypants response auto deletes my inital comment, for those that didn't see it, I asked why they have to take even the tiniest topics and turn it into a pissfest. Response to shegirl edit: Because it's a discussion thread on a message board? SG EDIT #2on't be a smartass. They can take the stupidest of topics and turn it into a slapfight, let alone the ones that are serious enough to cause pissy yet passionate posts. It's hockey, do you guys not think that if Canada had an American style football team there would be rivalry and belittling on both sides of the boarder?
I assume you mean in Canada? Don't think this will be a problem, as he strikes me as more of an appletini guy than a beer guy.
Jesus, man, get a grip. This whole thing is predicated on the fictional account of Canadians cheering for the Russiasn over the U.S. Even if it were true, it's a hockey rivalry. It's not like I wish the Russians had successfully invaded Afghanistan in the 80's or like I'm a fucking communist spy. Again, prioritize between hockey and the real world. You didn't need to say that you don't follow hockey, because everything else in your post blatantly advertised that fact.
No it isn't. It's a relatively rare phenomenon: see, say, Boston and Montreal. It was also widely criticized as shameful in both instances, in both countries.
Fixed that to reflect the maturity of the argument you just made. Do you really think that how people behaved in a stadium in Montreal can really be counted to my detriment, or how people behave in a stadium in the U.S. can be counted towards your benefit? I did not so much as know a single person there, or have any control over what went on, and neither did you. People act like dipshits the world over, and just because it happens in the same political jurisdiction as me doesn't mean I bear any responsibility or owe anyone an apology. Besides that, any pretension about being better than someone because they booed a national anthem is instantly lost when the favour is returned. EDIT: Dammit, you edited your post. Now I look like I'm making shit up.
Yeah, I editted because I reread it and saw that it looked like an "AMERICA FUCK YEAH" argument that I wasn't interested in making. My point is that it is not established custom, and typically it is followed by media admonishment.
You don't boo the home players. Completely classless move. I would love to have a Crosby-hater give me an explanation where all the hate comes from though. I'm not exactly a fan-boy myself seeing as I could care less about the Pens but I've heard a lot of hate lately even in the streets post gold medal winner. Stuff like "Yeah that was great, too bad it was Crosby though, I hate that guy." Where does all the hate come from? What did he do besides maybe turn out not quite as good as he was hyped up to be? You do realize that the NHL was founded in Montreal, Quebec, CANADA right? Yes the league has gradually moved down south for bigger paychecks to the financial center of the universe in NYC. But no, the 'national' in NHL does not stand for The United States of America. And no it is not 'your league' and it's also not Canadas league either and hasn't been for about 80 or 90 years when the first US team joined. So since you don't follow hockey like you said, perhaps you should stay out of the hockey part of the conversation surrounding the rule changes and stick to the booing part.
Well when I say "annual playoff tradition", I mean that it happens frequently enough on both sides that blaming one side as doing it more than another is false. I won't defend it for a second, of course. And, since this guy needs his questions answered.... the first problem here is that you are personifying yourself in other people. "Our sports", "Your players collect cheques from us", "our young athletes want to play in your league"; just because someone who happens to be an American is an executive of the NHL has absolutely nothing to do with you. Cut that shit out, it looks stupid. Secondly, you clearly have no idea about the extent to which the NHL owes is survival and roots to Canada. The Stanley Cup and the Prince of Wales trophy, for example, were both donated to Canadians by a former Governor General and Prince of Wales, respectively, to the champions of various hockey championships. Here is Forbes.com's list of the most valuable NHL teams: See that? All of the bottom feeders are American teams, while 5/6 Canadian teams are in the top half (and all being in the top 2/3rds). Two of the top 5 teams are Canadian, despite being middling teams that are going nowhere, indicating fan loyalty and a culture where business buy season tickets and boxes. So get out of here with your bullshit about Canada leeching off of the generosity of Americans who graciously allow us to play in "their" league; it's a private enterprise that most Americans don't give a shit about in the first place, and a private enterprise that could not hope to survive were it not for the Canadian fan base, not to mention the Canadian talent that generates interest in the first place. And, finally, your argument is nothing but pure jingoistic nonsense. If you actually followed hockey, you would know that NHL executives (some of whom are American, sorry to burst your bubble) are ruining the game by trying to set up teams in markets that don't give a shit about hockey (again, Americans), while taking teams out of markets or refusing to put teams in markets that do like hockey (mostly Canadian, but an argument can be made for the Minnesota North Stars here), among other things. If you don't follow hockey, then don't follow hockey, but don't bother pretending that you understand it, or that Americans somehow run the show. And, by the way, the "American Hockey League" is actually full of B and C players. Look it up sometime.